- 'An End to the Southern Strategy, But No Post-Racial America' says David Love
- "A Question of Place": An essay on the power of community
- Just Equally Speaking….
- Eagles owe Philadelphia the 8 million it needs to keep libraries open
- who would like to see Verizon offer cable TV in Phila?
- Council Committee Passed the Freeze
- Carol Campbell Passes Away
- My first trip to the public library
- Fight digital exclusion
- What if half of Philadelphia didn't have roads?
I Have Decided Who I Am Voting For
Submitted by Dan U-A on Wed, 04/25/2007 - 11:09pm.
While this is nothing more than my own, personal endorsement, I thought those people who noted I had yet to state who I am voting for, and why, should know that I made a decision. And, this is a situation where Ray and I will just not be voting for the same person, so, take that for what you will.
Put simply, remember that post that MDC wrote about a good candidate running for office? Well, it is time to suck it up, and acknowledge that Mike was right and that we agree. So, on that note,
I am voting for... (Click Read More)
....Haile Johnston, in the 5th Councilmanic District. (Wait, what did you think I was going to say?)
Why vote for Haile? Well, first, I am completely unhappy with my current Councilman (and John Street protege) Darrell Clarke. Clarke has not done a ton in Council that I have particularly liked. Even what could have been a shining moment- when he introduced an inclusionary zoning bill- turned out to be a dud, because he wrote the law to basically shut out anyone not making middle-income money from the process.
Haile, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air. I have now met him a few times, and I think Haile would really provide solid, grassroots, community organizing leadership to the district. How do I know that? Well, for one, my mom told me, and we all know we should listen to our mothers. (OK, so that is sort of toungue-in-cheek, but, my mom does a lot of work with Philly Green and the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, and she said that Haile and his wife Tatiana did a lot of really good work there.)
Anyway, Haile is a Philly native, who graduated from Wharton, and then got to work making Philly a better place, through community work, after-school programs, and his work with the East Park Revitalization Alliance:
The East Park Revitalization Alliance focuses resources on educating children about the transformative qualities of public art and environmental enhancement. Through after school and summer programming, youth are engaged in positive community building activities. By partnering with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the group has greatly improved the quality of life through the planting of over 300 trees, building of youth and community gardens and participation in the creation of numerous awe inspiring murals.
With a focus on capacity development and job creation, the East Park Revitalization Alliance employs nearly twenty adults and youth from the neighborhood during the peak summer months. The couple was honored with awards for their service to their community and city at the 2006 Philadelphia Flower Show.
I know there is another candidate in the race, as well- John Longacre. He seems like a nice guy, and I think he would be an improvement over Clarke. However, from looking at things like the Neighborhood Networks questionnaire, Haile is my kind of guy. A community organizing, grassroots, young, energetic man who will provide me and my neighbors with a vastly improved leader in Council.
Will he win? It is no doubt uphill. But to me, at least, the choice is pretty clear.
On May 15th, I am voting for Haile.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
How do I know that? Well,
How do I know that? Well, for one, my mom told me, and we all know we should listen to our mothers.
Dan-UA is a Mama's boy! You heard it here first folks. (Just Kidding)
Hey, remember when you wrote your first post and you thought that your Mom would be the only one reading it? Ah, those are what I would like to refer to as the good old days.
Good teaser
Dan,
I'm never right, ever, and you know it.
Mike
Yup!
Halie is a good guy and I'm looking forward to voting for him.
I'm just waiting for raideradam to come on and unleash the fury. =)
_______________________
I support, but do not work or volunteer for Dwight Evans
Haile Supporter
I also will be voting for Haile. It's too bad Haile and Longacre will be spliting the anti-Street vote. If nothing else, at least Haile is getting his name out there for future elections.
clarke, longacre, johnston
Just about anyone would be better than Clarke, but I'm thinking at this point Longacre and Johnston are going to split the anti-incumbant vote. We're going to get stuck with Clarke again if one of them doesn't drop out, which I'm sure neither will.
Also
Let's face it, he's a hottie.
Oh so that's why you told me
Oh so that's why you told me to vote for him huh?
---
Working for and supporting Matt McClure for the 4th City Council District and leaning towards Nutter.
Neighborhood Networks Endorses Haile
Just received word that Haile was endorsed by Neighborhood Networks.
PFC will be endorsing in this race
at our next meeting, Wednesday, may 2nd. It should be an interesting night - voting on mayor, the 5th CD, and all the judicial/row offices. Check out the questionnaires at our website: www.phillyforchange.com
No fury to unleash.
A lot of what Dan says is very accurate about Haile. He has done many good things for the surrounding neighborhood. The question that people need to ask when deciding between Longacre and Johnston is how their portfolios and experience translates to the Council seat.
Haile's portfolio of experience centers around beautification projects in the neighborhood, after school programs and trans fat ban work. As mentioned (well, the trans fat ban issue is very debatable) these help the City and make it a better place.
But isn't there a lot more to being a Councilperson than that?
John Longacre's portfolio of experience is a much better match for what the 5th District needs. For starters, he is not against standing up for what is right, even if it is against the current. As mentioned before, Longacre is a bar owner in Philadelphia. While bar owners across the City were up in arms about the smoking ban, he actually spoke in front of Council advocating the ban. He knew there was going to be backlash amongst the tavern community, but he said "it was the right thing to do". Integrity was more important.
Second, he develops in blighted areas of the City. He is a huge proponent of, as I like to say, "smart development". He believes you can't have blocks of low income housing and then blocks of market rate. It creates segmentation. We have to have mixed environments. Also, he takes great pride in the fact that the areas he does work have significantly low rates of displacement. He works with the community, leveraging his financial broker resources with his contractor resources to help residents remain in their neighborhood while finding ways to have them invest in their homes and take part on the recovery of their neighborhood. He believes if you stuck around during the bad times, you deserve to be there during the good times. One of the YPP regulars, Gaetano, has even verified the transformation that has happened in the Newbold area.
Next, he has a plethora of community activist and organizing experience. He formed the Newbold CDC and Civic Association to give residents the ability to have a voice in the way their neighborhood shapes. How many business people do you know that actually form groups of citizens to be a safety valve in the area they are working in? He felt that, by forming those groups, it makes it easier for him to make sure he does what the residents want and doesn't lose sight of that. He is also a board member of the Francisville Development Corporation which he formed with a very popular activist, Penny Giles.
On top of that, he has a bachelors from Temple majoring in economics as well as a member of Fels for Government Administration (one of the classes he took was taught by Jim Kenney, whom he said help inspire him to run for office).
In John Longacre, we have someone that has studies in economics and government administration. He is a developer so is intimately familiar with the zoning issues in the City. He is a businessman that employs many trades people, so he is familiar with the business climate as well as the needs of the blue collar work force. He is a community activist that helps organize residents and fights for health issues of workers.
When deciding who to vote for in the 5th District on May 15th, think about what I have mentioned. Longacre and Johnston are both very active in communities. It is a wash in that category. After that, which candidate has more to offer the 5th District and City Hall?
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
Adam is right about the need
Adam is right about the need to look at the candidates experience and portfolios. But I he grossly under-represents Haile when stating that his experience centers around "beautification projects in the neighborhood, after school programs and trans fat ban work." While those are some of the projects Haile has worked on there is must more that was left out.
Haile is also a developer. Though not completed, his project Eastern Lofts is an impressive undertaking and that is one of the most dynamic development projects in Philadelphia. He is taking a vacant 60,000 sqt. ft. warehouse bought though a private market transaction (not for a dollar from the city as Adam has stated earlier) and redeveloping it as a mixed use building. It will have spaces for artist lofts, small business lofts, a food distribution center, a local food cooperative market and much more. Eastern Lofts is a very complex project in a complex area. This is a multi-million dollar project in an undervalued market area. Also, given the fact that this project is not a condo development that would net huge profits, the financing is very complex. Haile has utilized his degree in entrepreneurial management from Wharton on this project. Beyond the standard development issues like zoning and generating the right business model, Haile now has experience in historic tax credit and new market tax credit financing. Mixed-use development in severely undervalued areas is not like market rate development edge of neighborhoods with already gentrified markets. The financing that will be needed to revive the undervalued markets in the 5th district takes an intricate knowledge of complex models that can leverage both private and public resources. Haile is the only candidate with this type of first hand experience.
Furthermore, Haile's experience in planning is not to be over looked. I am a planner and was co-author of the Brewerytown Neighborhood Plan. I can personally attest to the need for a councilperson who has the vision and experience to understand the holistic approach that must be taken to improve the communities of the 5th district. Haile has the vision and experience.
As a board member of the Strawberry Mansion CDC, Haile has been working on projects to integrate residential, commercial and industrial planning with the social programming that fills out the combined infrastructural needs of a community. It is one thing to attract thousands of dollars of grant funds to a community, which Haile has done, but our councilperson should be someone who has the experience of utilizing funds in a way to follow a comprehensive, integrated planning process. Haile has the experience in city planning and design that we so desperately need on the councilmanic level.
The Common Market project Haile is working on with Weavers Way and Farm to City is developing a new distribution model to bring fresh produce from the farms surrounding Philadelphia to Philadelphians. Again, Haile recognized the failing of government to address certain issues and has developed a new visionary way to address these failures. Most all communities in Philadelphia have problems accessing fresh, healthy produce. Most farmers in the area cannot find an economically viable way to bring their products to market in Philadelphia. The Common Market recognizes these needs and is working on a new method of collective distribution that can address both problems at the same time. Haile's commanding knowledge of supply and demand economics is what we need in Council to create bold new policies to address our city's most complex problems.
Yes, Haile has spent much time working addressing the social infrastructure of communities, but his impressive economic and planning experience is not to be over looked. Having previously worked for the Department of Public Health he also has the personal experience to understand the inefficiency and shortcomings of our city structures and how to address them. He is on the board of the Mural Arts Program and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He is an experienced leader who is well respected both in the 5th District and citywide.
Haile is the only candidate with extensive, first-hand experience in the public sector, the private sector and the non-profit sector. His projects have been dedicated to improving opportunity and quality of life issues for communities in the 5th District. Haile is only candidate in this race who has experience in the multitude of areas needed to provide sound leadership at the councilmanic level. Haile is not running because he is inspired to be a politician; he is running because he recognizes the lack of good leadership in Council and knows we deserve better. He has the right skill sets and experience to develop the policy and planning we need. The 5th District deserves a councilman like Haile Johnston.
On a side note, a long overdue comment:
Adam, it is one thing to speak about your candidate, but if you are going to write about Haile do your research before your post and watch what you say when you do post. On multiple websites during this election you have posted inaccurate facts and some straight-up lies about Haile. While you have toned down your rhetoric somewhat and have begun to focus more on the accomplishments of your own candidate, you still make comments misrepresenting Haile. I suggest you stick to writing about your candidate and no longer attack Haile. John Longacre is too nice a guy with too good a reputation to have you undermine the integrity of his campaign with lies and falsities. John deserves better, Haile deserves better and the 5th District deserves better.
Matt Goldfine
Campaign Manager
Haile Johnston for 5th District City Council
www.johnston07.com
Haile had offered to speak
Haile had offered to speak to me about any questions I may have. I left a message with his campaign office the other day to see if the offered still stood. I was going to discuss Eastern Lofts with him in more detail, but since you brought it up, I will go into it now. All the following information is public record and I have no problem citing my sources.
Eastern Lofts is an old warehouse located at 3002-3028 Cecil B Moore Ave. In 2004, someone had interest in the building to turn it into a club. Relatively new residents to the area, Johnston and Garganos, were not keen on the idea. They managed to purchase the property. They are quoted as purchasing the property for $80,000, but the BRT has the sale price as $1. Speaking to a BRT representative, he mentioned that the BRT lists the sale as $1 because that is all the City was told the transaction took place for.
At about the same time, they also received $150,000 from The Reinvestment Fund to pay for an architect and Structural Engineer.
Then there was talk about Haile Johnston’s efforts on a food distribution center in the warehouse. In June 2005, he was given $100,000 from the State of Pennsylvania towards his Common Marketplace idea.
Also of note, in 2005 and 2006 he has had to pay no property tax on the building because it is a Keystone Opportunity Zone. According to the BRT, he has lost that exemption starting this year, or to quote “they are not listed as being exempt for 2007”.
The property is still zoned Heavy Industrial and there are two L&I violations on the property (I am unaware of what they are, I have not inquired).
So, we have a decrepit building that had interest from someone to develop it into a club. Johnston manages to purchase it for $1 according to the City or $80,000 according to himself. He has received $250,000 in grant monies from different groups towards his plan of artist lofts and a food distribution center.
Going onto three years, it is still an undeveloped, trash strewn, non-roofed hulk with a banner on it saying “Coming Spring 2006”.
Matt Goldfine says, “Yes, Haile has spent much time working addressing the social infrastructure of communities, but his impressive economic and planning experience is not to be over looked.” Yes, it can be overlooked. For over two years there has been big talk and a lot of press about the food distribution and the artists lofts, yet there are no results. Blame it on the complexity, blame it on the neighborhood, but they are excuses. All it comes down to is results and Haile Johnston does not have them.
The point is, he has not accomplished anything as of yet nor will he in the near future (it hasn’t even been rezoned yet, which is no guarantee, especially after challenging the current Councilman).
This is the comparison I am telling people to make between him and John Longacre. John has delivered in neighborhoods. He has a wide portfolio of development in neighborhoods that has lead revitalization. He has examples of helping rebuild and refinance homes of residents so they can stay in their neighborhood and experience the joy of life getting better.
The only results that can be attested to Johnston are what I mentioned earlier, neighborhood beautification, trans fats and after school programs. He has not yet delivered on anything past that and the 5th Council District needs more done to it than tree planting and getting soda machines out of grade schools. We need someone who has the proven experience of delivering results.
Now, if anything is inaccurate, please correct it.
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
And here is another question
And here is another question for Mr Goldfine that he can clarify. Does this article mean Johnston received money from NTI for Eastern Lofts as well, or is it just two disjointed statements put together?
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2006-01-26/cover.shtml
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
A correction to the info.
A correction to the info. The last sale price was $1 because it was purchased and then transferred to the LLC.
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
As far as integrity goes,
As far as integrity goes, you and Haile may want to look in the mirror a little. During your challenge of John's sigantures, his father passed away. Real classy leaving a long message on his voicemail saying how sorry you were for his loss and then the next morning hitting him with the continuation on the signature challenge.
I guess those are the pit bull* tactics Haile pays you for.
* Goldfine has called himself Haile's pit bull.
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
I have a lot of respect for
I have a lot of respect for both campaigns -- most of which I know from the representatives on this blog. I am a little disheartened to see them attack each other however.
A lot of what each campaigns post is very good and reflects well on the candidates. I do think it will be an uphill battle beating Clarke -- in large part b/c the district is huge with a lot of wards and because he has ward leader support. (In fairness, I think very uphill.) Also, in order to beat the incumbent, you have to convince people to vote against him, which is why as someone interested in campaigns, I am not sure why the animosity towards challengers. (Read: I really don't understand it, not that I am passing judgment. It may be better to say that I am uninformed as to why there is animosity.)
What's kind of different about this race as opposed to others is that all of the candidates live and are drawing bases of support very close. (Haile is in the 32nd, which is were Councilman Clarke used to be the Ward Leader), and Longacre is in the 15th. For a district council race that is extremely close together.
Each also campaigning on similar credentials -- i.e., started/active in a community development group, wanted to do more, decided to run. (That eliminates most of my critique of non-incumbents. Although, I am hard pressed to point anyone out, just a feeling I have.) I am sure that there are some serious difference in experience.
It would be interesting to see each articulate a vision of what the districts disparate areas need in lieu of pointing out the flaws in other campaigns. Both have done that, so this is more of an instant reaction, rather than a critique of the candidacies and campaigns -- which I have been pretty impressed with.
As to pure inside baseball, I am curious to see how Longacre believes he will do in the 15th (Fairmont/Spring Garden) that went strongly for Welker against Street and Welker against Clarke. (I think that Longacre will do well, even though Greenlee is for Clarke.)
I am also curious to see what his/campaigns thoughts are for support in Francisville. (There is a longstanding racial divide, which may be on the wane, but I am curious to see thoughts on that part of his neighborhood.)
On Haile, I would be very surprised to see him get great support in the 32nd. (I would be surprised if he wins his own division.) But, his candidacy really seems like it should do well in the 15th and the 8th wards.
Those are my thoughts, if this is too public a forum to respond, that's ok as well. I have been considering Ray Murphy's comment and it occurred to me that I had not prognosticated on the 5th.
__________________________________________________________________________
I do not work for/support any candidate for any office in Philadelphia.
Obviously I can not go into
Obviously I can not go into many details of campaign strategy at this time. Maybe after primaries a debriefing session can go on, so check again at that point.
As for the attacks, there is a lot of grey area between attacks and differentiating.
Dan initially posted that he is supporting Haile. It would be rather naive to think I wouldn't reply to give details about John Longacre to counteract.
John Longacre has to differentiate himself from Haile and Clarke and let people know why he is the better candidate. This is because John has a wider skillset and experience that translates to the council seat.
Mr. Goldfine came and tried to defend Haile saying he is a successful developer as well, which is false. Haile has not accomplished a project outside of beautification. Haile is not a bad man. I never said he was. I merely verified my claim of experince that Goldfine objected to with the facts of the currently unsuccessful project of Haile's which Goldfine was basing on.
Is his project difficult? Most likely, not taking that away from him. The relevant fact is merely that Haile has not accomplished it yet and it is misleading to say that because he has talked up a project, that it makes him a success at it. It is something that differentiates Longacre above Johnston.
The people have to decide between Johnston and Longacre and Clarke.
For the record, Haile has done a lot of good community projects and there is no intention of disrespecting that.
--------------------------------------------------
Staff member of Longacre for 5th Council District.
Longacre Website
I can respect the desire to
I can respect the desire to keep internal campaign strategy out of the public forum. Perhaps, we can trade thoughts after the Primary.
I appreciate the background and do wish both sides luck in translating their message.
__________________________________________________________________________
I do not work for/support any candidate for any office in Philadelphia.
Meet Haile at Johnny Brenda's on Thursday!
My friend Laris just sent me the following e-mail, which I figured I'd pass on
I work for Damon K. Roberts in his run for City Council. Unless otherwise stated this and every comment by myself is the opinion of myself, and not of Damon or any other candidate, organization, committee, etc.